Jacksonville Fire Battalion Chief Bob Thornton says firefighters were called to the Max Howell duplex around 6 a.m. Thursday by a neighbor who reported smelling smoke. Thornton says no one answered the door and firefighters using thermal imaging did not detect any signs of a fire from outside the apartment. He says they left without entering the apartment.

@Jetta ... They prob did try by knocking on the door. Sadly they were most likely dead by then. The fire consumed all the air and replaced it with smoke and that is what killed these souls. Once the fire ran out of air, it too died, without leaving any outward signs that it ever existed.

Having been the over night, on call guy at a huge apartment complex many moons ago, I wonder why they did not call for a key and inspect the area if there was a claim of smoke. Judgement call was made and it will reflect badly, but truth is the people had passed before the firetrucks every got there at 6am.

MEnLR....you're right, but calling for a key and entering an apartment.....nah, I can only imagine the article we would be reading now. Sadly, because we have become so prone to sue, sue, sue, the firefighters opted to look as close as they could without causing a problem. So they probably made the best call for the options they had available to them. Otherwise, I agree with you completely. Just a sad story.